#1 #2 #3 #4 #5

Julie and I have so many kids I can’t keep up with them all. I’ve found it is best to just refer to them by birth order.

Two weeks ago, #2, #3 and #4 returned from working at overnight camps for the summer. With them, they brought enough laundry to fill a school bus. You could smell them driving down the highway. Whew!

Julie only got #2 for about 48 hours. #3 and #4 were home for a couple of weeks.

#3 was preparing to move into an on campus apartment at Elon University. Between her new curtains, bedspread, dishes, pillows, toaster (you get the picture) and her invitation to participate in the NC Debutante Ball, she has been quite the economic drain on the Tanner family this month. I actually save money when she’s in college – which I find peculiar.

#1 graced us with her presence last weekend for about 18 hours. Long enough to drop off laundry, pick up her new (used) VW and head to DC to see her boyfriend who spent the summer in Texas. She returned the next weekend to pick up the laundry she left the previous weekend. I just wash and fold as instructed. I prefer to be referred to as Tide-man.

Last Friday, Julie and I drove #4 to Furman University in Greenville, SC, to move her in for her freshman year! Other than her soon-to-be stepfather (a.k.a. Tide-man) losing her room key, unbelievable, it was a smooth transition. The key reappeared that night, after we had the locksmith re-key the door on the third floor of Thurman Dorm and after I walked the entire campus no less than five times trying to figure out where I dropped the little booger.

This past Sunday, Julie and I drove #3 to Elon University in Burlington, NC, to move her in for her sophomore year. #3 called that same night: “Dad, I just wanted you to know that the new knife you bought for our apartment works great. I just sliced my finger with it and am headed to the emergency room to have it stitched up.”

#1 texted tonight – “I’ve broken out in hives all over my legs.”

#2 called to make sure #4s drop off went well. He’s a good man.

Next weekend, #5 and I are headed to Charlotte for Labor Day. We are volunteering at a community event for Julie’s work.

Then we have the Deb Ball in Raleigh the next week. We are hopeful #1’s boyfriend will join us from DC. He’s a really nice guy. I sort of feel sorry for #3s date. He’s never met any of us, this could be overwhelming. He’s just a friend, but still.

We follow Deb weekend with #2 at the Georgia- Arkansas game in Athens (he’s a Bulldog) then Furman parents’ weekend with #4, then Elon parents’ weekend with #3 and then St. Mary’s parents’ weekend with #5. #5 and I are going to visit three colleges the first week in October and the second weekend in October is #4s Fall Break. I won’t see her because I’ll be with #3 at Elon for Men We Love weekend with her sorority. Two weeks later is #2’s Fraternity’s Parents’ weekend in Athens – and we can’t miss that! They have an open tab at a downtown bar which they tout to encourage parents to attend – also unbelievable. Fun, but unbelievable. Last year we went to a dance club and were heckled for being so old. I’m gonna wear skinny jeans this year to fool them.

Fortunately, all we have in November is a business trip to Vancouver (Julie is going to join me) and Thanksgiving (likely in a couple of cities across NC).

I’m writing like this is stressful – it’s really not. We’re busy, but we are having the time of our lives with five incredible kids!

5 Comments

Marsha

Jean B Ham (Mom)

OK, you’ve exhausted me and it’s only 10:00 am. By the way, it would be helpful to have the pictures of all five in a row. That would make it easier to identify them. I take it you started with your oldest and Julie’s oldest, then on down the line.

Jean B Ham

What’s more, I had to enter my name and email address twice. I did the first one and when I pressed enter the comment the first one disappeared and it told me I had to do it again. I put the very same thing in and ti went that time. I could see that they were exactly the same. In fact it stored my name because when I started typing it finished it for me. The site has gotten peculiar in it’s old age. Of course, I’m not. I have always gotten sassy when inanimate objects give me trouble.